Sponge rubber weatherseal



Feb. 2, 1965 J. J. BERWANGER 3,167,824

sPoNGE RUBBER WEATHERSEAL Filed April 12, 1961 @Www/M2M,

y/Al, Q/ /////,Q///////// INVENTORS United States Patent llice t3,167,824 Patented Feb.,2, 1965 3,167,824 SPONGE RUBBER WEATHERSEAL JohnJ. Berwanger, Hinsdale, Ill., assigner to Hood Sponge Rubber Company,Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 12, 1961, Ser. No.102,617 3 Claims. (Cl. 20-69) This invention relates to reinforced,flexible weatherseal and particularly to a longitudinally extensible andcompressible weatherseal construction adapted to provide an air-tightand Weather-tight seal for a closure.

In the design and manufacture of modern automobiles, strips of rubberweatherseal are provided for door, hood, and deck lid openings to shieldagainst draftsv and the seepage of water when the particular closure forthe opening is in closing engagement with the body of the vehicle.Heretofore, the weatherseal construction ernployed for thisservice,although satisfactory in some respects possessed certain shortcomings.More specifically, certain of the prior weatherseal arrangementsrequired the use of an adhesive. for securing the weatherseal properlyin place on a metal panel. Oftentimes, the adhesive would loosen,thereby causing the weatherseal to become disengaged from the metalpanel. Other weatherseal constructions provided heretofore were securedto metal panels by. mechanical fasteners lof various types, some ofwhich were integrally Aassociated with the weatherseal. An undesirablefeature accompanying certain of these arrangements was that a veryaccurate spacing was required in the location of the fastener receivingholes in the metalpanel. In instances Where the holes in the panel foraccommodating the fasteners were misplaced in the slightest degree,other vholes properly in register with the fastener were required to bedrilled in the panel, thereby greatly increasing the cost of assemblyingthe vehicle. In prior weatherseal construction employing reinforcingmembers to enhance the holding power of the mechanical fasteners,

the inherent flexibility of the rubber sealing material .was diminishedto a point where the installation of the weatherseal was exceedinglydiflicult, if not impossible, on metal members having sharp corners orcurves of small radii and the like. It is also to be appreciated thatmany prior reinforced weatherseals could not be manually stretched orcompressed in the slightest degree during the installation thereof onautomobile bodies. y

Havingin mind the shortcomings of prior art weatherseals, it is animportant object of this invention'to provide a reinforced weathersealwhich possesses a high degree of flexibility in all planes so as tofacilitate ready installation thereof around sharp corners and curves ofsmall radii or the like.

Another object is to provide an improved reinforced weathersealconstruction which may be longitudinally compressed or extended a slightdegree during the installation thereof without rupturing the bondbetween the yieldable seal material and the reinforcing means.

In conjunction with the last mentioned object, it is still anotherobject to provide a weatherseal which may be stretched or compressedy toregister the clips carried thereby with non-uniformly spaced holes in anassociated sheet metal member or panel.k

A further object of this invention is to provide a weatherseal which issimple in design and construction, highly practical in use, economicalto'manufacture, and which is adapted to be installed quickly and easilywithout the use of hand tools.

Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangementof the elements thereof whereby the above-outlined and additionaloperating features thereof, are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation,together with further objects and advantages thereof,vwill bestbevunderstood by reference to the following specification taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like referencenumerals have been used to designate like parts throughout, in which;

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of-,a strip of weatherseal madein accordance With and embodying the principles of the presentinvention; i

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view of the weatherseal ofFIG. l taken generally in the direction of the arrows along the line 2-2thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, transverse, vertical sectional view showing theweatherseal of FIG. l operatively secured to an associated sheet metalelement;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged,-fragmentary, longitudinal, verticalsectional view taken generally in the direction of the arrows along theline 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, transverse, vertical sectional view similar toFIG. 3 butshowing the weatherseal in the con- K dition thereof whereinit is deformed by a closure; and

FIG. 6 is a. further enlarged, perspective View of an attachment clip ofthe present invention...

Referring now to FIGURE l of the drawings, Athere is shown therein astrip of weatherseal generally designated by the numeral 10 made inaccordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention.The weatherseal 10 includes a sealing strip 12, a reinforcing member 14and a plurality of attachment clips 16. v

Referring now to FIGS. l and 3 particularly, the sealing strip 12 is agreatly elongated member composedof highly yieldable material such asfor example, sponge rubber, ordinary soft rubber, or natural orsynthetic rubbers. A generally ilat surface 18 is provided on the strip12 to engage a complementary surface of a sheet metal element 20 such asmay-be found around the door or deck lid openings and the like on anautomobile. While the surface 1S has been illustrated as flat, it isintended to make complementary conformation with the cooperating surfaceto be sealed. Opposite the flat surface 18 thev sealing strip 12 is ofan irregular transverse conformation. More specifically, alongitudinally extending major or first flange 22 having a V-shapedcross section extends outwardly from the central position of the strip12 in the direction away from the surface 18. A minor or second flange24 having a stubbier cross section than that of the flange 22 alsoextends longitudinally of the strip 12 and is disposed in a transverselyspaced relationship to the flange 22. A hook-like flange 26 is providedadjacent to the flat surface 18 curving away therefrom in the directiontoward 'the tip of the first flange 22. Whenr the sealing strip 12 isde- Y I FIGS. 2 and 4. Being embedded in the sealing strip 12 below theflat surface 18, theindividual wire loops 29 of the spring reinforcingmember 14 are normally spaced apart each from the other and areeachentirely surrounded by the highly yieldable material which composesthe body of the strip 12. In other words, the plastic material of thestrip 12 extends within the cylinder-like, interior portion of thespring which is defined by the loops 29 thereof. Being spaced apartlongitudinally of the axes of the sealing strip 12 and the reinforcingmember 14, the wire loops 29 load asv was heretoforevthe practice. Yrecognized that in this embodiment of the invention -the permitspring-like 'compression' ofthe weathersealv lilas well asvspring-likeextension thereof. It is to be'apprefv ciatedthatinasmuch asthe wire loops 29'are entirely surrounded by the rubbermaterial ofthe/sealing strip 12,

there ijs 'al-great area of intimate contact therebetween vwhereby Vatenacious bond is formed between thelrubbermaterial andthereinforcingmember 14, -lt has been lfound that this bond withstandsextensionand compression of the strip without rupture. g`

The attachment clips 16 aredisposed at longitudinally spaced intervalsalong the weatherseal '10 projecting out;

war'dlyfrom tlie'flat surface 18 of the strip 12. Referring to FIG. 6,each attachment clip 16 is madeentirely of Wire having adiametersomewhat greater than that of the wire loops 29 of thereinforcing member 14. The attachment` lio is properly" located in themold cavity,` the halves of Vthe mold may be closed.` Thereafter,th`emold cavity may be filled by injecting therein a light and foamyvulcanizible l portions 36,40V thereof in firm engagement with thealigned Y series of ypointson theinside of the loops 29 of therespectively associated groups: thereof The foot portion 36, 4G being inpointcontactwiththe'coils 29;. andsupportclip 1 6 includes the twospacedapart legs 39 and 32 which;

Vare interconnected at the upperportions thereof tofform aV head portionofthe clip -16 having the shape of an inverted U, Diverging fromthe.'leg 3 2 to propide spring characteristicsthe lower portion ofthefleg 3G interconnects with a slightly inwardly extending first shankmember 34 which extendsdownwardly to interconnectfat an abrupt bendwith-a rst foot portion 36; Similarly', the lower portion of the leg 32interconnectswith a slightly inwardly extending second shank member 38`which extendsdown- Wardly to interconnect at an abrupt bend with aYsecond foot portion.40 extending in the direction opposite to that edthereagainst by the material. ofpthestrip12, .it is to be recognizedthat the clip 16|may .be pivoted. about the.

line vdefined by the points of Contact through an angle of approximately-120 degrees. The head portion of the clip also may be twisted a,slight.extentiwithrespect to the longitudinal. axis ofthestrip 10; Thesefeatures greatly facilitate insertion of theclip116 in misspaced 4holes'and Varound sharp curves. Y' Y Y y Upon removal of the -weatherseal 10,from ther'nold,

the yclips 16 .protrude through the flat surfacelSfof the of therrstfoot portion 36. It is to be appreciatedtliat f line which is generallyperpendicular. to ther plane of the Ll-shaped head portion of the clip16.

AsV arranged on the reinforcingmember 14, the attach-v ment clip 16 visdisposedwith the first 34 and the second 38 shank members each engagingnext adjacentloops 29 of thefspring-like reinforcing member 14;Referring to FIG.V Amore particularly', `the firstshank member 34engages the loop of wire 2 9aand therst foot portion`36 engages at aseries of aligned pointsalong the inside of a group v the foot portions36 and 40areeach disposed parallel to a of coils designated-29a through291. Similarly, the second shank member 3S engages Vthe loop of Wireimmediately i adjacent the loop 29a, this loop Ybeing designated 29f.fThe second foot portion 40 engages at a series of aligned pointsdisposed along theinside of a secondgroup-.of wirecoils', Vheredesignated` with primes, 2921 through 29'1. It has been found that by`thisY arrangement of the attachment clip 16 on the reinforcing member14, 'a very great pulling force'mayr be applied tolthe headportion ofthe/.clip 16 y' without causing the reinforcing member 14 to vtearthrough over; a substantial longitudinal extent of the weathersealthesealing strip 1 2 since such a pulling force is distributed" 10 bythe. groups offcoils 2,9 and is not Vappliedas a point foot portions 36and'40rextend .generally parallel to the longitudinal .axis oftheweatherseal 10 and thatthe general plane of the head portion ofY theV clip 16 is disposed transverselyfof theweatherseal 10 althoughit'may bef: otherwisefarrangedwithout departingfroin the scope of therinventionVIn manufacturingthe weatherseal 10, a length of .spring Y wire iswoundinto coil formjhaving individual Vloops- 29` Y spaced aparta smalldistance, such as forexa'mple .030

The .attachment clips= 16, 'havinga diameter ofv inches, wire greaterthan that of the wire of the coil spring rein- V forcing member 14, areinserted into the member 14st) that ItV is alsoto be strip 12. Asmalljprotuberance 42 extendsl outwardly from the surface 18 gbetweenthelegs '307,532 of the` head portion of each clip 16, V clearly shownin FIGS. 3, 4 and5. y Since the reinforcing member 14, beingfin coilspring form, does not detract from the flexibility .of the rub.-

ber sealing'strip y 12, .the weatherseal ltlrmay be'fastened around.sharp corners, curves ,of small radii, etc. Conf lcomitant with thisfeature, thefweatherseal ltlvis adapted to provide foreasy,installationthereof Varoundautomo-Y 'bile door, hood and deck-lidopeningsfand the y like,`with outthe use of 'any hand tools. Moreexplicitly, the, sheet metal members which denethe aforementionedYopen-yings (shown fragmentarily in FIGS.v 3 .and*5) are pro- Y Vvided withholes ,44 spaced apart ,therealong a distance approximately equal-totheV spacingbetween the attachment clips-16,. Each hole 44 Vis of. asizev thatfwill' per-` mit snug insertion` of the free end of the.clipl. As

the head portion of thefattachrnentclip 16is`urged furtherinto the hole44, the legs 3l?, 32 resiliently converge Y until they have passed fullytherethrough and. thereafter resiliently diverge leaving the shankmembers 34, 3S firmly engagingy .the walls ofthe hole vto hold theVWeatherseal 10 securely to the sheet'm'etal element 241.

Being `.compressed bythe .legs 30, 32, i the rubber protuberance 42 isValso urgedthi'oughV thev hole 44and provides ansponge :rubber gasket.v YY In .cases `iivhereadjacent ho1esf`44 are* spaced Yapart a distancegreater'than the Y spacing of the attachmentr clips 16, the'weathersealltlmay simplybe stretched until the respective clip V16 is inregister-Withfthe associated hole 44 for insertion therein. f Andconversely, where adjacent holes 44 arespaced closer togethergthan thespacing of the clips 16,',the`weatherseal 1 0` may be compressed aslightl V.extent to bring the respective .clip 16y intofregister` Withthe associated vhole k44.` The distance ythat'the weather- 'seallltl'rnay beecompressedis limited .only kby the lateral buckling oftherubber material'which may be objectionablein appearance at somelocations onan automobile while Vacceptable at" others. :-V v

Thus, `it will `beseen thatfthere has beenprovided an improvedreinforced Vweather'seal which has universal each foot 36, "4 0 engages.a separate group .of coils 29. f

Each .clip 16may be spacedvon three or four-inchenters l fromthe:nextf-adjac ent .clip along the length of the-reim" forcing memberv14: Thereafter vthe coil spring reinforcing member 14 having the clipsY16 secured thereto may be' v placed in a cavity'of arnold (not shown)so that the clipsV V16 extend through slots provided in one wall of themold.

exibility yiii-all directions, and particularly inlateral'and.longitudinal directions, zand may .be installed `infa'reas of sharpbends and which fulfillsall' of the" objects. and

` advantages set forth above.

.Whileitherehas beendescribed-.what iszat present considered tobe thepreferred embodiment. of the, invcn-V Y tion, it will be understood thatvariousmodifications may Itis tobe appreciated that `the mold may be ofany cross section depending uponv the configuration of the finishedweatherseal desired. After the Vreinforcingmember `141 be made therein,and it is intended tok cover inthe appended claims all suchmodifications. as Vf allvt'lithin the true spirit and scope of athe;invention. f

respectively associated apertures in the panel and a pair y ofoppositely extending elongate foot portions imbedded in said bodymaterial, each foot portion being juxtaposed with the inner surfaces ofa plurality of next adjacent coils of said coil spring on opposite sidesof the head portion in generally straight line arrangement to provide amechanical interconnection with the adjacent coils as well as theimbedded connection with the body material resisting relative separationbetween each clip and the spring while permitting swinging of each clipthrough a substantial angle along an axis substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the spring.

2. A longitudinally yielding sealing strip for attachment to a panelhaving a series of apertures spaced apart therealong; said sealing stripcomprising a resiliently deormable, elongate body of rubber-likematerial, an elongate helical coil spring reinforcing member embedded insaid body having the individual coils thereof entirely surrounded bysaid rubber-like material, a plurality of spaced-apart attachment clipsfor securing said sealing strip to the associated panel, each attachmentclip including a head portion extending outwardly from said body forinsertion into the respectively associated aperture in the panel and apair of oppositely extending elongated foot portions imbedded in saidbody material, each foot portion having portions thereof insubstantially straight-line point to point juxtaposition with the innersurfaces of a plurality of next adjacent coils of said coil spring onopposite sides of the head portion to provide a mechanicalinterconnection With the adjacent coils as Well as the imbeddedconnection with the body material resisting relative separation betweeneach clip and the coil spring while permitting swinging of each clipthrough a substantial angle along the axis of the point to pointjuxtaposition between the foot portions and the spring coils.

3. A longitudinally stretc'nable and compressible sealing strip forattachment to a panel having a series of apertures therein spaced aparttherealong; said sealing strip comprising a resiliently stretchable,elongate body of sponge rubber material, an elongate helical coil springreinforcing member embedded in and extending longitudinally throughoutsaid body, said reinforcing member having the individual coils thereof,normally spaced apart and entirely surrounded by said rubber material, aplurality of equally spaced apart wire attachment clips for securingsaid sealing strip to the associated panel, each attachment clipincluding an inverted, generally U-shaped head portion extendingoutwardly from said body for insertion into the respectively associatedaperture in the panel, the plane of said head portion being disposedsubstantially at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of ysaidreinforcing member, and a pair of oppositely extending elongate footportions on each attachment clip disposed generally perpendicular to theplane of said head portion material, each foot portion being imbedded insaid body and being juxtaposed with the inner surfaces of a plurality ofnext adjacent coils of said coil spring on opposite sides of the headportion in generally straight-line arrangement to provide a mechanicalinterconnection With the adjacent coils as well as the imbeddedconnection with the body material resisting relative separation betweeneach clip and the spring While permitting swinging of each clip througha substantial angle along an axis substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the spring.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,918,134 Resch July 11, 1933 2,601,512 Gagnier June 24, 1952 2,607,965Gagnier Aug. 26, 1952 2,612,665 Scott Oct. 7, 1952 2,683,907 LovasikJuly 20, 1954 2,719,343 Harris Oct. 4, 1955

1. A LONGITUDINALLY YIELDING SEALING STRIP FOR ATTACHMENT TO A PANELHAVING A SERIES OF APERTURES SPACED APART THEREIN; SAID SEALING STRIPCOMPRISING A RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE, ELONGATE BODY OF RUBBER-LIKEMATERIAL, AN ELONGATE HELICAL COIL SPRING REINFORCING MEMBER EMBEDDED INAND EMBRACED BY SAID BODY, A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART ATTACHMENT CLIPSFOR SECURING SAID SEALING STRIP TO THE ASSOCIATED PANEL, EACH ATTACHMENTCLIP INCLUDING A HEAD PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID BODY FORINSERTION INTO THE RESPECTIVELY ASSOCIATED APERTURES IN THE PANEL AND APAIR OF OPPOSITELY EXTENDING ELONGATE FOOT POSITIONS IMBEDDED IN SAIDBODY MATERIAL, EACH FOOT PORTION BEING JUXTAPOSED WITH THE INNER SURFACEOF A PLURALITY OF NEXT ADJACENT COILS OF SAID COIL SPRING ON OPPOSITESIDES OF THE HEAD PORTION IN GENERALLY STRAIGHT LIINE ARRANGEMENT TOPROVIDE A MECHANICAL INTERCONNECTION WITH THE ADJACENT COILS AS WELL ASTHE IMBEDDED CONNECTION WITH THE BODY MATERIAL RESISTING RELATIVESSEPARATION BETWEEN EACH CLIP AND THE SPRING WHILE PERMITTING SWINGINGOF EACH CLIP THROUGH A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE ALONG AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLYPARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SPRING.